Morning Song
by Kurai Hitokiri
Summary: Link Greene is a member of the Hylian Military. A chance meeting with Zelda Harkinian could be just what he needs to realize that there is so much more than violence. Zelda, however, is far more complex than Link could ever realize.


**A/N:** A new brainstorm. A modern day AU fic that suddenly came to me while looking out a window during Spanish Lecture. I had to pen it down, because I had insomnia that night till I finished this piece. Perhaps, if everyone likes it, it shall be a new multi-chapter fic. Testing the waters for an old fanfiction writer like me. *Smiles* Enjoy and leave comments after you are done.

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**Morning Song**

By Kurai Hitokiri

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Chapter 1: Bloodstained hands

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She was a morning song. A breath of fresh air in my monotone life.

One grows tired of routines. Grows tired of the repetition that seems to plague a majority of our lives.

She drew me from that sleepless insanity, that heartless repetition that I found so abhorrent.

I am not here to write a masterpiece.

I am not here with aspirations to win a Nobel Prize.

I won't use fancy language. I'm not going to sugarcoat anything with frilly words and illusions that never happened.

I'm going to tell things as they were…

I'm going to show you how wonderful she truly was.

How much she meant to weak fools such as myself.

The only way to show my adoration and love for her is to give you all an accurate account of her character. In plain words from a plain, tired old man.

This is my final work. The last chapter in my life.

_My_ story.

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The Great Imprisoning Wars. The struggle between Hylian and Gerudo for dominance over our precious land of Hyrule.

The streets were littered with the desolate and hungry. Men stealing, raping, murdering for mere pleasure. Women whoring themselves in order to make ends meet for their starving children.

Young men were lead like pigs to the slaughter. One after another, mothers saw their sons leave as proud Heroes, standing tall and smiling in their uniforms…

Brought home in a wooden box to be mourned, their lives ending far beyond their appointed time.

Overseas in the harsh Gerudo deserts, their guts were spilled. Their faces were torn beyond recognition and treated as mere dolls for the amusement of the enemy. The pearl white sand ran red with the blood of Hylian and Gerudo alike.

From these times, I was raised and brought up.

The loss of a son was a common occurrence in Hyrule. When I was born, Father and Mother looked upon me as a sad sacrifice.

They gave me every benefit over my younger brother and sisters. As the eldest, I would be the one to walk the path of bloodshed. The one who would kill and know the desperation of war.

So I was given the love and praise that none other could be given.

I remember days sleeping upon the dirty floors of our apartment in the Kokiri district of Castle town. I often slept nestled into the very corner of the room, away from my hateful brother and two sisters.

At those times I can hear Mother's voice as she bent over me, silent tears dripping onto my face as she whispered prayers to Lady Farore to spare my life.

My poor, foolish mother.

Her prayers were wasted.

As soon as I reached the age of eighteen, the Hylian army demanded my service.

I was taken from home against my will.

I was assigned to the Hylian Air Force after basic training, based in the dirty slums of Hyrule Castle town central.

I learned to hide my emotions. To be cold and calculating when pulling the trigger.

They would kill me if I did not kill them.

That was all the justification I needed.

There I met her…

And that is where my story begins…

'_Dead,'_ I thought grimly, watching another round of ammunition tear bits of a desert hovel to pieces.

"Greene, take out that last row of huts over there," Captain Sheik Shadow's voice echoed dully through my mind as I mechanically steered my fighter over a flurry of oncoming artillery.

"Roger that, sir." My eyes turned upon the last rows of hovels as I guided the plane to circle low over the small Gerudo village.

My leather covered fingers caressed the trigger as I carefully took aim. The digits ached, itched to fire prematurely for the mere thrill of shooting.

Yet I held steady, knowing that what I was about to carry out was nothing short of a slaughter.

There would be no unnecessary bloodshed.

My superiors would feel ashamed.

There is no mercy in war.

I strengthened my soul, prayed for the lives that would undoubtedly be taken with my next shot. It gave me no pride to take away a father, daughter, son… mother.

It simply stained my hands with crimson fluid that ran rampant in such amounts upon the desert floor.

As my finger pressed lightly upon the trigger, a sudden sight froze me.

Two children. Running away from the village.

One, the elder of the two, I assumed, held his bleeding, torn side with red stained fingers. His other hand was hurriedly leading a young girl, no older than a few months.

In Hyrule, there were children such as them

Children, starving on the streets and being denied a childhood.

Yet these were not our children, with fair skin and light eyes.

These were dark-skinned, red haired heathens who would eventually grow to hate all those different from them.

Under the tutelage of their ruthless King, Ganondorf, they would become stone cold, merciless killers who would serve without fail.

Who would murder and spill more blood.

"Fire, Greene," Sheik spat. "Fire NOW!"

And so I did.

I watched as those children were engulfed in flames and lost within a sea of bright light. I tasted their blood upon my tongue.

"Good job, Greene. Report to headquarters."

Another day…

Another slaughter.

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I never could understand the rush that young soldiers feel on their first slaughter.

Even as I sat in the cold, gray cafeteria among fellow soldiers and their families, speaking of the '_intense thrill of war_' and the '_accomplishment that spilling blood of pathetic Gerudo Heathens_' brought.

The day I returned once more from the Gerudo Desert, I sat alone as usual.

I looked at my bare hands, wondering how many lives I had taken within the past two years or my service. How many times had these hands ruined the lives of others? How many fathers had they taken? How many children had they slain?

How many people cursed these hands?

I clenched my fists, closing my eyes and burying my face within the rough, callused surfaces.

The only sense of 'pride' one can feel from a bloody job of murder is the 'pride' of serving one's own country.

But that does not discount the murder. The bloodshed needed to attain that peace.

The sacrifice of the soul of the murders who carry out the crimes unwillingly.

"Excuse me?"

I looked up, ready to wave away the intruder with an unfriendly scowl.

Yet was unable to.

The woman who stood before me was no older than 20, perhaps younger. Her figure was lithe and shapely beneath the flowing, simple blue dress that she had garbed herself in.

Her face was regal and aristocratic, chiseled by the Goddesses themselves to perfection and covered in fragile alabaster skin. Gentle ringlets of sheer gold tumbled down a shapely neck and cascaded down dainty shoulders.

Sad violet eyes bore into my own cobalt blues as she gave a wistful smile with full, rosy lips.

"Sir," her melodic voice sent shivers down my spine. "May I sit here, please?"

Startled that anyone, much less a _Goddess_ would approach me, my voice came out rather high, stumbling over words as I went.

"U-um… O-of course, ma'am. Make yourself comfortable."

She gave me another grateful smile as she pulled up one of the cheap, plastic blue chairs at my table and set her plate of meager rations down. Without delay, she proceeded to begin eating.

For a moment, there was nothing but the laughing of my fellow soldiers and the wild clatter of silverware against china. I sat, staring down upon the table, my blue eyes lifting every so often to look at my new companion.

"Where are you from?"

I jumped slightly as I looked up, staring into her inquisitive violet eyes. They lay fixed upon my impassive features, waiting for some form of response.

"The Kokiri district," I murmured, looking once more upon my shameful hands.

"Really?" she placed her fork down, smiling gently. "What branch of military?"

"Air Force," I replied.

"It must be wonderful," she brushed a stray strand of gold out of her fair features, "to be able to soar so freely. Able to go wherever you wish. Able to do whatever you want."

'_Able to kill without batting an eye_,' I thought bitterly, soaking in my self-hatred.

What a naïve young girl… Such innocence.

"There is… a certain amount of liberty in flying the skies," I admitted, unable to voice my true thoughts. Looking up, I managed a smile in an attempt to look less severe. "How about you? From where do you hail?"

"Ah, central Castle Town," she smiled wistfully, as though jealous of my origins. "I'm here to visit my fiancé, he's home from Labrynna."

"What branch?"

"The Navy."

"Ah."

She cleared her throat. "I'm sorry, I've been talking to you this whole time and I didn't get a name. You are…?"

"Link," I smiled genuinely at her embarrassed features, "Link Greene. Private in the Air Force."

She reached out, taking one of my hands in her own, shaking it gently. "Well, Link. My name is Zelda, Zelda Harkinian. …I'm afraid I don't have any fancy titles to give you other than 'pathetic fiancée to Navy man.'"

I chuckled. "Pleasure meeting you, Ms. Harkinian… or Ms. Pathetic fiancée."

"Oh, and a pleasure to make your acquaintance Sir Private." She shook my hand far more enthusiastically, nodding up and down with that wide smile on her face. "Though I do hope calling me Zelda shall suffice."

I gently pulled my hand away. "Then you should call me Link, if that is the way things must be."

"Sounds like an even trade," she winked, laughing.

Just as I found myself about to speak again, the piercing trill of a cell phone interrupted my string of babbling.

Zelda frowned, reaching into her purse and hurriedly answering it as she saw the caller ID.

"Y-yes sweetheart… of course I'm here… No, I'll be fine till later," she bit her lip as she looked at her watch. "…You're going to be late… I… I see. I'll be at the dock in a few moments. I'll meet you there… Okay, I love you too… Bye."

She snapped her phone shut, grabbing up her purse and tray.

She smiled apologetically at me as she inclined her head in slight shame.

"I'm _really_ sorry, Link. My fiancé wants me to meet him at the dock for a quick goodbye," she shook her head. "I really want to stay and talk. I hope you can forgive me."

"No problem," I replied. Though my mind was telling a different story… I enjoyed this woman's company.

"I'll see you around?" she asked hopefully, eyes sparkling.

"Of course." The words left my lips more swiftly than intended.

"Great!" She jumped enthusiastically. "I'll come by here again sometime. You better be here." She shook her fist threateningly.

"It's where a no good private like me spends a majority of his time, anyway," I said quietly.

"I'll see you then, Mr. Link Greene."

See her, I would…

And I would see her quite more than I thought possible after that day.

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**A/N:** A bit of a test chapter to see the response. I hope you all enjoyed it. Give me your critique and comment. Read and review. And as always, thank you for reading. Happy reading to you all.


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